The Aftermath of Death
by Silencer
Summary: Death has taken its toll on Rinoa. Find out what it means by life after death for Rinoa.
1. Prolouge:The Aftermath

The sky over Ultimecia's castle was clearing, slowly. Towering solids of black shadows flowed with each movement of the clouds, betraying little hints of light. It was still back as soot, but no longer streaking with uncontrollable lightning. Sunlight now glistered in the small chapel on the other side of the castle, as peals of water pearl droplets caressed the worn marble face of a figurine. A figurine of Rinoa. Her. A gloved hand gently pushed the once majestic oak doors of the chapel open. The dilapidated door protested loudly, but nevertheless it opened. Scenes of terror surged through his brain, as he allowed his eyes feast on memories that once were not consumable. A gentle shake of his head, as he willed the thoughts to leave. He took a step.

His motive to return to this accursed place reminded him to walk towards the pulpit. Each step was softer than the last, each second more painful than the minute. He came to an abrupt halt, eyeing the figurine intensively. He knelt down, to bring his eye level to match that of the figurine's. He could see the beauty immortalized even something as immaterial as a statue. He reached for it, touched it. The cold, lifeless feel of the marble seeped through even his glove, bringing him close to tears. He would not allow that to happen. Never would he. Rinoa.

It was at a dance at the graduation ball held in Balamb Garden. The ball was held for trainees to congratulate them on their promotion to combat arms, holding rank of full-fledged SeeD members. Squall was one of the few outstanding cadets to have passed. He emerged from his dormitory donning a fresh set of uniform.

Squall walked towards the ball room. The matrons pushed the doors open, revealing the splendid grandeur of the ball. Squall nervously took a step into the ball. He was never one entirely comfortable with groups of people. He meekly accepted a glass of champagne the nearest waitress offered. He leaned on the nearest pillar, right hand absent mindedly twirling that glass of champagne, his left hand in his pocket. He was intensively aware of his surroundings, but only as an on-looker. He was just about to finish his glass, when a young and attractive lady approached suddenly as if from no where. She gave Squall a smile, and Squall had an insight into what he had been missing. Squall was never interested in girls, much less a relationship, but after that very day, they never knew what a day was like apart.

"You left me, Rinoa" Squall whispered in a deadly silence, "We were supposed to do everything together." A single drop of tear smeared his face. Silence. He drew his hand away from the figurine, and rubbed his fingers together. Dust. Dirt, just like the entire chapel. In shambles.

"Squall" The door creaked open, and a figure entered.

"Squall" she repeated. Squall remained silent. He had nothing to say. Especially at a time like this. He was always the cold and anti-social guy in front of everybody. It was a face, a mask he had to put on to protect himself. From what? Now that he was in this state, he could not let her see him like this. Why?

"Are you… okay?" Quistis asked, concerned. She walked towards her leader. Ever since Rinoa had died, his leader had been in this mood. She had realized long ago that the cold and uncaring leader he had portrayed to others was only a show. Deep inside his heart, she understood that Squall needed somebody to talk to. He had found that somebody, but all too soon, that somebody became a nobody.

Literally.

"Leave me alone." Squall spoke softly, almost inaudible. Quistis knew that Squall was not in a very good mood, but at least she had checked on him. Now her leader wanted her to disappear, disobeying did not make much sense. Quistis nodded her head, not caring whether Squall saw it. She turned her back on him, before walking out of the chapel, closing the oak doors silently on him, a lone, sad figure outlined against the grey shadows of the chapel hall. Quistis shuddered in the unforgiving cold, and walked back to the starship.


	2. Wither of the Blades

The clear sky enveloped Squall's visible horizon in an expanse of infinite blue. Fluffy clouds hung high up in the sky. The weather was not hot, but neither was it cold. He could wear a jacket and not perspire, or remove his clothing without feeling cold. In simple comprehension, this was … heaven. Impossible but already a reality to him. At least, it felt like reality. The chapel and the castle had disappeared, replaced by endless green fields. There were sheep on the other side of the fields, and a hill on his left. There were flowers everywhere. Colors of every kind, the combined scent of all the flowers had diffused to just about every point on the field Squall could tread on. This reminded him of the field behind the orphanage. Well, it looked just about the same. After a while, he realized it was the field behind the orphanage in which he grew up in. It only reminded him of one thing.

"Please don't be sad Squall." Rinoa explained. Her innocent voice ran though the flowers like a whistle, bringing peace and tranquillity to everything it touched. It signified eternal peace, eternal happiness, more importantly to Squall, eternal love.

" Rinoa. You can't leave me… I need you… where are you?" Squall cried in despair. Tears streamed down his face, no longer able to control his emotions, much less his words. There were a lot of things he could not understand. The departure of Rinoa was one of them, right at the top of his list.

"Hush now, dear. I am in a very happy and special place. You don't have to worry about me. Really." Rinoa smiled. She embraced him.

"Return to where you belong, Squall. You cannot live in this state forever. You have friends, friends of yours and friends of mine." She spoke gently, before looking away, beyond the fields.

"If you look for me here, you'll find me." Rinoa whispered, tears evidently about to fall.

"I promise" Rinoa turned to leave. Squall heard the silent echo above the flowers. Squall chose not to look.

Squall's eyebrows knitted into a brow, a line of perspiration obvious. His face showed fear. Fear of what? Fear of losing Rinoa, he thought. Rinoa had already been… lost. Squall sat up on his bed. He was back in his dormitory. He did not care how he got back here. Wherever he was, it was still going to be the same. With one hand, he drew the curtains on his window. The scenery that he would once consider beautiful was nothing more than a play of colors. All too soon, the waterfall and the soaring birds had lost their color to his life, and everything he saw was displayed in a dull and boring spectrum of black and white. Squall placed his left palm on his forehead dejectedly, before lying back down again. 

"The Galbadians are going tol wage a full-fledged war against Balamb Garden tomorrow at thirteen hundred hours." Navigator Xu announced, reading off an intelligence report. She waited for the full attention of the other leaders before sitting down. The other Garden leaders fidgeted. An emergency meeting had been installed with all the Garden Leaders. The world elite mercenary force had been divided into the world in divisions called Garden. Every hot spot in the world had a Garden specially tailored to the conditions of the area. Now that a world super power formally known as the United Sates of America to many had declared an all out war on SeeD, the Garden Leaders had plenty to be nervous about. 

The blue overhead hanging neon light filled the place with a blue glow. A single chair was at one end of a long marble table, while chairs on either side flanked it. Squall was seated right at the end.

"Esthar had already consented to assisting SeeD. They are volunteering their assets at our disposal." Nida Queen said.

"And the conditions for assistance?" Maritime Lance queried in an authoritative tone. Nida silently gripped his palm into a fist, irritated.

"None that are stated here, sir." Nida replied evenly. The Garden leaders fidgeted again.

"I doubt Squall would agree to accept help from Esthar… would he?" Drew Gains scratched his head. The other Garden leaders nodded their heads in approval. Squall remained silent.

"Squall?" Nida nudged his arm. Squall snapped out of his daze. "Huh?"

"Galbadia would be launching a war against SeeD tomorrow, and Esthar will-" Drew Gains began. 

"Not my father," Squall dismissed the idea, waving his hand, as if shooing off dust.

"But sir," Drew protested.

"No buts, Drew. Without my father's help we still can beat the Galbadians. We are SeeD, not some girl scouts. Keep that in mind, Drew." Squall spoke sharply, surprisingly awake.

"Yes sir," Drew sat down, dejected. He understood their leader most of the time, but this was one of those times where he simply could not understand Squall. SeeD was facing a real crisis and Squall had simply refused to acknowledge help from his father, most probably in a bid to save his pride.

"So Squall, what's the plan of action?" Xu wanted to know. Squall begged silently for Rinoa to appear by his side, to give him confidence. But nothing happened. Squall heard the sound of a porcelain cup against a saucer. That spelled anxiety. Squall frowned for a while, before speaking.

"Maritime, leader of Galbadia Garden, gather four divisions and prepare your Garden for immediate activation. Flank the coast of Galbadia with immediate effect. Resist patrols, and step down only after the enemy has started to launch missiles. Drew, I hereby promote you to leader of Trivia Garden to replace Elder Young. Prepare a rescue force of a thousand SeeD agents, and a wing of star fighters. Xu, you shall fill Headmaster Cid's chain of command. Take control of Balamb Garden and rally a hundred thousand agents. Wallace, Seifer, Fuijin, Rajin and Thomas, lead the attack along with the main assault force. Go in ranks of hundreds. Proceed by leapfrog in intervals of five minutes. Triba Garden shall provide cover fire in order to retreat if the order comes. Remember, the order to retreat takes priority. Galbadia Garden shall attack their water and power supplies, including the Communications tower at the Dollet Islands. I will give further orders from my Annihilator. Dismissed."

The leaders looked around at each other, astounded.

"Yes, is anything the problem gentlemen?" Squall rapped. He tapped his fingers on the marble table. Drew made a noise, seemly more irritated than before. The leaders looked around at each other, before Drew stood up and left. Squall was once again silent.

The rest of the leaders walked out of the room. Squall relaxed and sunk deeper into the command chair, as Rinoa filled his mind.

Xu stood up, and glanced at Squall. Her leader was under stress. She had never seen her leader like this before, but it had been expected. She too, missed Rinoa. Not that she knew her personally, but it was more of a presence. Now is it felt as if the presence was no longer present. Xu gathered her briefing notes, and walked out of the room.


	3. Lion amongst Goliaths

The Docking Bay within Balamb Garden was not completed, but due to the looming war, the technicians had no choice but to allow the agents to stow their crafts here. Squall gingerly walked towards the command post. Color-coded cables ran messily through the ceiling, and hand tools were strewn everywhere. Squall had to take caution to prevent tripping against anyone of those hazards. But his mind was not here, at least, not his active thoughts. He had already formed an action plan. He leapt into the cockpit.

Squall had his hands on the keyboard of his newly built Annihilator. His fingers danced, and the canopy closed to a tight shut. Gas was released from the intake values and the sleek craft rose. The magnesium finish gave the entire cruiser a polished black shine, at the same time offering it durable but light protection. The blue skies seem to slowly pass the Annihilator, at least only when the warp drive was not active. The on board radar indicated that he was flying in the direction of Ultimecia's Realm. He had personally slain the evil leader, but the gates to her realm where still active, indicating the realm still existed.

It must be another standard time, Squall thought. Just like earth. Anybody could be the leader without earth vanquishing. No, he did not have any intention of taking over her realm. She was dead anyway. Then why was he going back to that wretched place? He called up a map chart, and selected some coordinates.

To see, to look, he thought. Rinoa's statue. The chapel. Squall's eye slits instinctively narrowed. Rinoa died because of Galbadia's indirect, but crucial involvement. He swore to take Galbadia apart, piece by piece. His stare turned into a withering glare. He would never rest until that day came. This war was his to claim. He panned the cruiser, this time, in the direction of Galbadia.

"Go, go, go!" the battlefield commander shouted. The war had started. Scores of Galbadian soldiers poured onto the battlefield like ants. Sounds of bullets zipping past, the stomping of leather boots against the earth, body armor rubbing against each other rang loudly into the ears of thousands. As intended, Balamb Garden's Mass Mobile Dispatch Unit had arrived onto the coast on cue. The transport doors were opened by hydraulic pistons, and what was being emptied out was not limited to the escaping nitrogen gas.

SeeD agents emptied from the Mobile Units into the battlefield, each holding on to his or her unique weapon. Both sides were exchanging fire. The fierce clash between the two strongest military forces rumbled till it resonated beneath the earth. Every few seconds brought about an earth shattering blast that would destroy everything in its path. SeeD agents ran from tree to tree, building to building, seeking cover in an orderly and progressive manner. Already, the Galbadian forces were starting to thin.

Overhead, an unfamiliarly marked group of star fighters streaked across the sky, releasing chemical agents into the atmosphere. The moment the troops breathed in the air, they were knocked unconscious. However, another surprise was installed for the Galbadian generals, as a pack of Estharian fighters swept across from behind Balamb. They released another type of blue gas into the air, but once in contact with the orange gas sprayed earlier, it turned colorless.

"Who the hell are these supposed peacemakers?" Drew thought aloud. Squall shrugged. He was not too happy on the appearance of the unknown fighters, but neither was he on the unconditional help from Esthar. Not that he could fend the unknown fighters himself, but he just was not pleased. But just as well. Since Estharian fighters could take care of the unknown fighters, no point in ordering a retreat. It was then when one of the unknown fighters dived before their very eyes.

"X-Com Interceptor Star Fighter. Avenger Star II." Drew read aloud. He typed a couple of commands into the keyboard, querying the computer on the make and origin of the fighters. The computer indicated a single result.

"Let's see it," Squall rapped. Drew nodded his head obediently. His leader was not in the best of moods, so he might as well shut up. Drew's fingers ran across the console a second time. On screen, multiple views and information of the unknown fighters were displayed.

"X-Com. An elite quasi government and private force disbanded by the US Pentagon in 2025 AD. Utilized some of the most advanced technology available to humans, developed by their resident R & D center. Access to all classified military information, technology scale higher than any other known in the world. Uses alien-modified craft and integrated sophisticated weaponry. Specialized in space combat and elaborate rescue operations in space anomalies."

Drew whistled. "So we're dealing with a space faring organization capable of wiping both Galbadia and us out of this world?" Squall shrugged. Things were not looking good. But within the murky swamp, there was a rose. If X-Com was so advanced, their R & D probably had ways to restore their age-claimed scientists, which meant, they could revive Rinoa! After all, she was involved in a space anomaly, which brought her to her ultimate demise. All of a sudden, Squall felt hopeful. It was a leap of logic to a certain extend, but he was hopeful nonetheless. He hoped they really were the peacemakers.

"Drew, call Esthar. Tell them to retreat immediately. And give Trivia the order to proceed with rescue operations. Do not open fire unless in self-defense. I'm going to try to talk with these guys." Squall spoke, his tone lighter. Drew frowned, but nevertheless began to fulfill his leader's wish.

Quistis knelt down in front of the wet, marble statue of Rinoa. She was at the chapel, this time alone. Without the burden of a leader to take heed. Here eyes were moist, her hand shaky. "Rinoa," she whispered.

"It was only as if it was yesterday. We were at the cafeteria at Balamb Garden. You asked me what I wanted to eat, and I playfully pointed at Squall. You said you already had him the night before and he didn't taste good." Quistis croaked, unable to continue. Her hand pulled away from Rinoa's beautiful face. She buried her face in her arms. Rinoa was a close friend to Quistis. The trio. Quistis, Rinoa and Selphie. The trio who had braved numerous dangers together in the name of friendship. Across the Plains of Esthar, to the nuclear silos outside Galbadia, to even the Luna Base. Now Rinoa was gone… they had only been together for a year.

A soft footfall.

"Hush now." Irvine held out his handkerchief to Quistis. It was one a few rare moments he would actually be serious and sane. Irvine also took some impact when Rinoa parted from his life. All of them were a part of his life. Now it felt as if there was a large hole. He reasoned that all of them must be feeling kind of lousy now, especially Squall. Irvine knelt down to face Quistis.

Quistis faced away from the statue and hugged Irvine. His handkerchief was released in a shock.

"Irvine." Quistis howled and cried in his arms. Irvine patted her head. He looked at Rinoa's statue, and lowered his head.

"She's gone now, Quistis dear. Nothing you do will change that fact. You just have to accept it." Irvine's voice faltered away. He felt like a complete hypocrite. Here he was telling Quistis to forget about the trauma when he himself was none the wiser. But he had to play the man. Especially in front of Quistis. It was pointless to describe what he felt for Quistis, and acting man just to comfort her was important at times like these, even when it meant healing others when he was not completely healed.

"Squall's probably facing a harder time. Think about it. Rinoa was about to become his wife." Irvine said.

"Squall…The war. Galbadia. Irvine, we got to get back to help Squall." Quistis said between sobs. Irvine relaxed into a smile.

"Let's go, Quistis." Saying so, he gently lifted her off the ground, as Quistis snuggled into his comforting arms. Irvine gave a half smile, one that said many things. They headed for the Wraith.

Squall was back at the orphanage again. He pushed the small gate open, and stepped inside. The old orphanage no longer existed in real life, but then again, reality was only what one thought he saw. There was a slight breeze, which toyed around with the wind vane creaking noisily as it spun slowly. As he walked into the orphanage, he could actually hear the sounds of the ocean. He could feel the sea breeze, gently releasing his anger, changing into the now common feeling of longing. He longed, oh yes he did. Longed for Rinoa day and night. It was only in his sleep, when he could reunite with her. He pushed the left gate open, and immediately, the scent of flowers filled the orphanage. He strolled towards the field.

"Rinoa." He cried. The figure standing in the field did not turn back. Her blue dress danced wildly, as the wind sailed through the currents. He walked down the small steps.

"Rinoa!" he cried, this time, louder. The figure turned. Squall was momentarily stunned. Rinoa walked towards him, before breaking into a run. Squall ran towards her, before stopping his her arms. Rinoa smiled, as their arms interlocked.

"You're back." She grinned. Squall could feel her arms, warm, her face compassionate.

"Yes, I'm back. I'm here to see you." He whispered, tears in his eyes. They made eye contact.

"I promised that I would be here waiting for you." She replied. He nodded. Her eyes then strayed onto the blue skies. Squall could sense Rinoa was upset, and afraid. Of what?

"The time for me to leave this world is about to come." Her voice was soft but clear. Squall thought he felt a dagger pierced right into his heart. He spluttered.

"But why?" he asked, possessing the innocence of a child questioning his mother on the ways of life. His grip on Rinoa's arms softened. He felt weak, as if his body was giving up the will to live.

"Look at the skies, my love. It has started to darken. You can't see it now, but from the far end of the skies, love, it has begun to change. The wind that has seen us through our years will be changed into a storm, one that rips anything apart. I would be gone, forever, even in your dreams."

Rinoa cried. Squall narrowed his eyes.

"Rinoa, I have possibly found a way of retrieving you from the realms of darkness, for that is where the X-Com plays its deck of cards. You must hang on, if not I shall be unable to rescue you out of this space you are in." Squall said, amidst the attempt to fight back tears. Rinoa nodded.

"I shall try my very best, my love. But hurry, for I am weak." Rinoa mumbled, before collapsing in his arms. She moaned for a while, before disappearing completely. Squall looked up into the darkening skies and yelled. His yell seemed to rumble through the skies for a long time, before rain started to pelt him from all sides. Squall lay on the field, crying, soaking up the rain. 


	4. Reminise

The click. There it was again. Click. A pair of eyes followed the silver balls suspended on strings, as it oscillated around an invisible axis, periodically knocking each other, thus producing the click. Irvine lifted the object up from the display table, and held the silver balls. Cold, dead, heartless. He released his grip on the silver spheres, and set the object back onto the table. Reaching from under the table, he fished out a dog-eared magazine. Flipping hurriedly through, he stopped at a page. He tapped the side of his head for a while. Thoughts ran through his mind.

"I thought you were getting ready for the weaponry show?" Quistis asked. Irvine quickly stood up and nodded his head. Quistis entered and shut the door behind her.

"Yeah I am. I just thought I, ah, check on you first to see if you, ah, are alright." Irvine scratched his curly hair. Quistis flashed a watery smile. 

"Thanks for the concern, Irvine. I am fine, really." Irvine picked up his rifle.

"Then I guess I, ah, should get going." He staggered. He quickly walked towards the door, slightly brushing past Quistis.

"Good luck Irvine. Show them a thing or two." Quistis encouraged, winking in his direction. Irvine merely nodded before disappearing out of the door. Quistis sighed.

"I must do it alone." Squall shook his head firmly. The gunblade dangled dangerously behind his duffel bag. Squall started to walk in the direction of the ship. A firm grip stopped him in mid-walk. 

"Squall. This is no small matter. Shouldn't you at least discuss this matter with the rest of us?" Zell questioned. Squall shrugged his hand off.

"I alone shall undertake this operation." Squall stubbornly insisted. Irvine stepped up to the duo.

"Squall. You must think this through. Even the Galbadians failed to resist the X-Com, what makes you think you can?" Irvine yelled. Squall appeared undaunted.

"Let me be, Irvine." Squall thrust his forearm in the direction of Irvine, before pulling it back sharply. In a spat of confusion, Irvine fell to the floor. Zell stared wide-eyed at Squall, as the loner put one hand in his pocket and walked to the cruiser's landing flap. The flap closed on Squall. Zell helped Irvine up to his feet, before retreating to the safety of the observatory. The airlock panels were shut tight, as the heat in the docking bay increased. The one-man cruiser lifted smartly off the bay, before blasting off to a start. Squall was no more.

The others were at the Cafeteria, solemn and quiet. Selphie stared at the rest blankly. With each anticipating look around the table, she half expected to see Squall with them, partaking in this solemn discussion, but then again, that was why they were having this discussion. Squall's sudden departure. Selphie reached for a satchel of sugar, before tearing it open. She emptied the sugar into her tea. Her left hand automatically poised next to her right, stirring the tea with a white spatula. She had long knew about Squall's reaction to Rinoa's death, but never did know that Squall had actually missed her that much to undertake such a risky operation alone. If Drew Gains hadn't secretly contacted her with this information, they probably would have though Squall was on one of his moods again. Well, he had always portrayed that cold and heartless persona to others, and only close friends, who were countable, knew that it actually was all just an act. His real self was concealed deeply beneath his outer shell. It was all over anyway. Somehow, Selphie got the feeling that it would be long, if not never, before the others were going to be seeing Squall soon.

"Selphie? Selphie?" Zell said irritably. Selphie snapped out of her thoughts.

"Selphie, we were just thinking of going to help Squall." Zell gently told her. Selphie stopped stirring.

"Zell, we do not even know where he is right now. How on earth are we going to find him, much less help him?' Selphie said. Irvine released his grip on his rifle.

"Listen up guys, I do not know what has got into Squall, but all I know that is Squall is our friend and that we should do something about it." He rapped. Quistis nodded from behind him. The table was quiet. Zell slowly nodded his head.

He felt that is was only right. After all, Squall was the one who saved him the on a past mission, where he almost lost his life. Zell swallowed his saliva, tight-lipped. It was more of fear than of worry.

Squall sat alone in the pilot's chair. The aircraft was set on automatic, leaving him free to do other things. Such as feeling guilty. His conscience pricked him the way salt does to a fresh wound. He had actually floored a friend of his. It was unthinkable, yet he had already done it. He just hoped Irvine was alright. It simply would not do to have an injured mate credited to him. But then again, Rinoa was more important. His mind was confused, if not, lost. Squall glance below him through the cockpit. The greenery was passing him by. He thought he saw the wind mill. Squall let fall a single tear.

Selphie creaked the door of Squall's room open. Drawing a deep breath, she pushed the door wide open and stepped in. She walked to the table. A little sphere balanced miraculously on it. Selphie frowned. She picked it up, and gave it a shake. She stared at it. For seconds, nothing happened. Then the room faded away, as the familiar scent of flowers reached her. She looked around. It was the hilltop once again. The place Laguna took Raine as his ravishing wife. The place Raine was laid to rest. The place Squall reunited with her sister. A place of tragedy and fortune, a place of happiness and sorrow. They always say they're two-sides of a coin. This place was a perfect example.

"Selphie." A familiar voice. Selphie instantly recognized it.

"Rinoa!" Selphie turned around. She was greeted by the real physical Rinoa. Or what she made out as the real Rinoa.

"Rinoa! We missed you!" Selphie said happily. She gave Rinoa a quick embrace, before pulling back. Rinoa felt real to her. At least, in the little world they were in.

"Selphie, you must stop Squall" she said urgently.

"Where is he going?" Selphie asked. Rinoa's shoulder sank.

"He's going to attack X-Com to steal their power to control the Dimension Gates."

"Huh? Dimension Gates?"

"Right now, my death is only temporary, for I am only in another Dimension. So as long as my physical body is still undestroyed, I cannot reach the next dimension. The only way out is to destroy my body or to restore me to it."

Selphie nodded her teary eyes. Rinoa forced a smile. 

"Do not worry Selphie. I hope there would be a day when I can be finally reunited with all of you. I miss you all, especially Squall."

Selphie wiped the tears of her eyes. She sniffed. The wind chose to blow across the field at that instant, not the gentle breeze it normally produces, but this was one of danger, bringing a chill to Selphie's spine. Rinoa started to flicker before Selphie's eyes. Selphie got to her feet.

"The power of this crystal is weak. I shall have to go now. Goodbye Selphie."

Selphie staggered to the floor, landing on her knees. The crystal was back on the table, away from her hand. Selphie looked around the room. It was still a room. She quickly stood up, replaced the sphere and left.


	5. Tears of glass

Rinoa sat back down on the cold, featureless floor. Mist surrounded her the way honey attracted bees. She huddled in one corner, her back against the wall. She folded her arms amidst the shivering cold. It was quite sometime since she was here, and the thought of Squall coming to her rescue was appealing, but having him to risk his life made her disapprove of his actions. The crystal ball on the floor was suddenly just another normal crystal anyone could purchase in a simple gift shop. This was the only pathway to connect to the real world. The power of the crystal. Now, the power was gone, for it needed to recharge.

Rinoa had traveled through the eyes of her best friends and her lover though the power of this very crystal. Every time the energy was consumed, Rinoa felt weaker. She was almost certain that after a few more visits to the real world would cost her life. _Or her soul._ The space in front of her suddenly vibrated, and a portal materialized. An old and ragged man stepped out, a shepherd's staff in his right hand, a brown book in his left. 

"Rinoa. It is time for you to leave this place. " the old man said in a kindly voice. Rinoa looked up.

"Please sir, give me a few more days." Rinoa begged, her eyes teary. The old man sighed.

"Rinoa, even if I gave you a few more days, you would still eventually have to come with me." He said.   
"Come, Rinoa. It is time." The old man repeated. Rinoa shook her head.

"Sir, my friends will rescue me out of this place." She whispered, this time tears on her face. The thought of not seeing Squall or any of the rest for eternity was too much for her to bear.

"Rinoa, my dear girl. Crying would not help you, neither would your friends. Not that they could. It is a different kind of world. Squall wouldn't be able to reach here on time. This is a place where only spirits may ascend to, and even if he committed suicide this instant and reunite with you in the same land, you cannot see each other, what more unite with you? Only those who view through the eyes of God may be granted the power of seeing spirits."

Rinoa buried her head into the arms. She was too aghast to react. The old man stepped towards her.

"Well, since you refuse to come with me, I shall grant you your desire to spend a few more days here. But bear in mind, that The next time I come, I shall not hesitate to remove you by force, which I can assure you, is not very pleasant. Also bear in mind that it is the way of Hades to use female souls to appease the demons. I can guarantee you that will not be very pleasant."

The old man shook his head in disapproval. He turned away from Rinoa. Raising his staff, he chanted a few words, and the crystal atop the staff glowed green. He waved it. A bolt of lightning struck the crystal ball that was nearest to Rinoa.

"Visit them for a last time." He said quietly, before stepping into the portal. The portal closed, and the old man was no more. Rinoa picked up the crystal. It was snowing inside.

"This call is for all Members and Cadets of SeeD. This is an emergency situation, Defcon 1. All officers please assemble at the Quadrangle for an emergency briefing. Members and Cadets are to assemble in their units in their pre-assigned locations. Instructors please co-ordinate the movement." Quistis spoke through the intercom. Navigator Nida jabbed the "off" button. Captain Quistis replaced the microphone and sat down. She turned to face the SeeD leaders.

"The territory we are going to tread on is one where the enemy is strong and unknown. Our leader has already left Balamb on the Annihilator." There was an uneasy silence.

"Our motion sensors indicate Squall as heading in the direction of the Ultimecia Portal. In five minutes he would have entered the area. I suspect he is going to have a little chat with Alexandria. Remember Ultimecia's daughter?" The leaders nodded their heads. Quistis turned to Nida.

"Number one. Set a course to the portal. Run all scenarios on possible routes. Get the communications officer to announce the transfer of personnel to the Stargazer. "

"Aye." Nida saluted and scurried off to bridge.

"Leaders, gather your men and ready them for combat. We have to get ready to intercept the X-Com. Gather your men at the Stargazer at 1400 hours. The ship will take off immediately. I expect no delays. Questions?"

The leaders shook their head mechanically again. Quistis sighed. She stood up and walked out of the Oval Room. She was pissed.


	6. Castle of Blackness

The evil castle loomed in the backdrop of the black sky. The Annihilator cruised to a halt above the courtyard in front of the chapel. It drew to a silent halt, and landed. The cyclical cockpit lid slit open. Squall stepped out and looked around. Empty. It seemed to underscore his feelings for the past month.

It had stopped raining. Squall drew his gunblade. The eerie blue glow of the adamantine filled the sky with a pleasant blue. He raised the gunblade high up. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

The blue of the gunblade seemed to shine brighter, and a beam of blue energy leaped from it. It shot straight into the sky, the clouds, before a very magical thing happened. The sky seemed to turn into a more pleasant shade of blue. Bringing the gunblade down, he swung it crazily around him. Everything the beam of energy touched had changed darkness into light, despair into love, death into life. Flowers magically blossomed, clouds became fluffy and white, and plants started to grow where once were inhabitable. Squall opened his eyes. The energy slowly faded to a nil. Squall re-sheathed the gunblade. He walked towards the broken chapel door, and pushed it opened. He walked to the pulpit.

He came to a stop when he reached the front, and knelt down, Bowing his head in silence, he clasped his hands together.

"Rinoa. I am going to rescue you now. Wish me luck." He whispered. His emotions were overwhelmed. He got to his feet. Throwing Rinoa's statue one last glance, he turned and broke into a run.

The castle door stood solid in front of Squall. Squall was undaunted. He knocked. Once, twice. No answer. Not hesitating, he drew his gunblade, once again filling the door with a shade of blue. With a swift slash, the door was no more, or rather, it had loss its oak frame. Squall gripped the gunblade tightly and ran inside.

Beasts and demons soared freely inside the Castle, but none dared approach him. In fact, they tried not to look at him. Squall's eyes darted across the hall, and he spotted a girl sitting alone in the corner. The gunblade flared up into a violent blue, and Squall walked towards her direction. The beasts and demons seemed to fade away into the darkness, terrified of the blue. He came to a halt when her eyes looked up at his.

Her brown red eyes stared at Squall's clear blue eyes. Both of them held each other at attention. Beneath those blue eyes, Alexandria could see that Squall was actually afraid, but she was certain that whatever the brave man was afraid about, it definitely was not her. It was something, not of a horrific nature, but of an unavoidable and undeniable one. Alexandria unleashed the full power of her mighty will in her eyes. Squall's eyes never looked away.

"Alexandria." Squall spoke, his voice impatient and authoritative. The little girl in her dress looked around. She put her doll aside.

"You call for me?" her voice sweet, laced with honey. She looked innocent. Squall nodded his head solemnly.

"Yes. Give me your powers. I need to travel across space." He ordered. The girl's mouth smiled.

"And you think I would obey you?" she grinned. He was silly, she thought. Since when did mortals go around asking witches for their power? Either he was silly or he was brave. But it had to be the latter. Alexandria reasoned that for a man to beat even the likes of her mother, Queen Ultimecia, Squall had to be of some caliber. No matter, Alexandria was confident he wouldn't fall to the feared slayer. She has watched this squall from a safe distance, observing his every strength and pitfall, untouched by the storm that is he.

"Yes." Squall said.

"Convince me."

The hall was suddenly enveloped in a dark blue. Squall raised his gunblade. The formidable weapon shook in his arms, as it gained strength. Alexandria was not impressed. She got to her feet. Raising both her hands, she chanted a ditty, which she thrust both hands in the direction of Squall. Her small palms flared up instantly, as it grew bigger. She finally let them loose. Two fireballs flew in his direction. Squall easily deflected it with the blade of his weapon. Alexandria rose in the air, magically. Squall expected it. After all she was a witch's daughter.

"You shall have to give me your powers in the end, for after I kill you with my blade, I shall draw your powers out of you. Give them to me Alexandria, and I will let you live." Squall spoke. He waved his gunblade around in the air. The beam of energy shot out. Everything thing the beam touched was destroyed instantly. Alexandria willed for a spherical shield. The shield encompassed around her tiny body, protecting her from the beams. Bits of the castle were already falling apart from the ferocious attack.

" Die now, mortal!" Alexandria screamed. She flew towards Squall, her eyes suddenly changing into an inferno of flames. Squall's eyes suddenly changed into a flaming blue, his true energy taking over. Squall slashed Alexandria across once. She dodged the first attack, but took it hard when Squall suddenly struck without warning. Alexandria fell off the sky. Squall leaped into the air, and brought his gunblade down hard on her. Miraculously, Alexandria's little body did not split into two. She got up, and raised her powerful arms again. Two beams of ice froze everything it touched. Squall threw his gunblade high in the air, and jumped after it. He twirled it around twice, and blue circles of destructive energy took Alexandria down hard. She conjured a spell, and deflected bits of the destructive energy.

Squall was ready for his finale. The blue flame on Squall's gunblade spread to his body, as the flames rose high, lighting everything up blue. He charged, blade first towards Alexandria. Releasing a frenzy of experience honed slashes and strikes, Alexandria finally fell down to the stony castle floor, beaten. Squall's temper had subsided considerably, and the flame of his gunblade died down to its usual luminous blue, and the blue flame around Squall disappeared. Lionheart had never found its match.

"I'm sorry, Alexandria, but I really need your powers." Squall said gently. He slowly stroked her hair back from her tiny, beautiful face, clearing her vision.

Alexandria looked at Squall not believing what she had just heard. Fearing the formidable man, she nodded her head. Summoning whatever strength she had left, she moved her emaciate fingers over to Squall's left hand. She closed her eyes. Then, a wonderful thing happened. From her body radiated red energy. This energy gathered from all around her body, before entering Squall's. Squall took a deep breath. He could feel the red energy trying to overpower his, but it finally succumbed to be harnessed by the blue energy. Squall kissed Alexandria.

"Thank you Alexandria." He said. Squall sheathed his gunblade, and carried Alexandria with both hands. He walked her back to the Annihilator.


	7. Seeking a witch

The peaceful breeze of the now familiar flowers flirted between flowers, dodging and playing around. A gale blew by, ruffling up the flower petals. Squall stood alone, amidst the field, allowing the wind to soothe his thoughts. The gunblade hung lifelessly on Squall's left hip. It suddenly sprung into an energetic blue. Squall gripped the crystal white handle of the gunblade and spun round, in a combative position, but quickly relaxed.

"Matron." Squall almost choked.

Edea stood by the ruined marble steps. She smiled. Looking at Squall with a smile in the eyes, she walked towards him. Squall relaxed his shoulders.

"I guess that gunblade of yours still hates me?" Edea asked lovingly. It was hard to imagine, that a few weeks ago, he had wanted to strike her to her death, never quite realizing the peaceful and kind Matron was actually possessed by Queen Ultimecia. Only after beating Ultimecia's powers did she change back into her original self. Squall was almost thankful that he hadn't dealt that fatal blow.

Squall nodded weakly. The still shinning gunblade suddenly unsheathed itself, and flew towards Edea. Squall raised his right hand and gripped an imaginary rod. The gunblade stopped in its tracks, a mere inch from the deciding factor of life and death. Squall quickly summoned it back and sheathed it.

"I'm sorry Matron. I guess Lionheart still hasn't got over the battle I had with Edea." Squall frantically apologized. Edea merely shook her head and smiled. 

"It's okay, my child." Edea lifted her hand to touch Squall's face. Sorrow filled her heart unexpectedly. One by one, all her little wards were leaving her. She remembered each and everyone of them fondly, regardless of actions they did as adults. The child in them she loved, nurtured and took care of all these years. Each and everyone of them.

"Such a short time and you are already a grown child." She said. Squall sensed a feeling of unexpected sadness.

"It's not like I'm not going to come back." Squall said. Edea shook her head.

"I've been in the other realms as Edea. Demons and spirits roam freely, with wild abandon. Rinoa wouldn't be able to hold out long enough for you." Edea explained. Squall nodded his head. She too wished it wasn't this way. But some things were unavoidable.

"But I have the power of a witch. I am going to make this happen, Matron." Squall said. Edea raised her eyebrows.

"Watch." Squall spoke. He spread his left palm open, and as if by instruction, a flame hung joyfully above his palm, close but not burning it. Closing his eyes, he let loose the flame. It instantly turned into a fireball and razed a clear path from the field to the Annihilator. Edea gasped.

"So you do have the power of a witch." 

Squall nodded his head again.

"I shall be on my way now, Matron. I shall hand over the child for you to adopt. Will this be okay?" Squall wondered aloud. Edea nodded her head. Squall gestured at the sleeping, unconscious form.

"Rest assured I will take good care of Alexandria. Be on your way, my child." Edea turned to leave. Squall nodded his head, not caring whether Edea saw that.

"I shall" he whispered.  
"This is Captain Quistis currently in charge of the Stargazer. I have invoked the Prime Directive as set out by the Council. At 1400 hours, we shall proceed on a course towards the South Portal. As many of you are familiar, the Captain of his ship will always give an opening speech to his crew. I have no intention of breaking this tradition. But this speech shall differ from normal speeches meted out to crews." Quistis swallowed.

"Admiral Squall Leonhart has secretly embarked on a personal mission to rescue a single person. This, although disapproved by the other Council Leaders, is worthy of our benevolence. The Admiral has contributed much to Garden, it's time we take things that matter to the Admiral seriously. Quistis out."

Quistis slumped back into the command chair. Number one jabbed the comms off button. Number one cleared his throat.

"Captain Quistis. It is precisely 1400 hours." He said.

"Roger that, Nida. Take us out." She said. As if her voice had a power of its own, the Stargazer started to shake and rumble, before it lifted clean off the huge Bay of Balamb Garden. Nearby the Bay 1, starships of size equal or larger of that to the Stargazer took off simultaneously. The combined impact of this huge fleet rocketed the earth beneath it, sending chills of shocks in a radius around.

"Helmsman. Impulse drives, full. Take us out of the planet." Quistis said evenly.

"Aye, Captain." Helmsman Mark replied. The Stargazer's rear ion propulsion drives shone a light pleasant yellow, before speeding off, its companion ships beside.


	8. Beyond the conquest

Squall entered the Annihilator, and dived straight into the cockpit. He depressed a red button, of which the Lexicon hatch closed down. Fresh oxygen immediately pumped through the pipes of the cockpit. Squall relaxed a little. He was still feeling a bit dizzy after that huge fusion intake of raw power. Clearly, his sensors have improved by a great lot, but it got better as time passed. Squall's hands took position on the flight stick. He yanked it. The Annihilator rose of the grounds of the Lighthouse, and shot into space.

Squall often wondered of the theories of which life, in itself was fabricated. Was there someone higher up there? If there was, this person was not being kind. Many a time, he had been left to himself to fend off others who were in his way, he thought bitterly. He entire life revolved around himself, without a care to those around him, or why he joined SeeD. It was absurd, he thought. Now, here he was trying single-handedly to infiltrate X-Com's bases, in search for a portal machine he couldn't confirmed created. But it was this hope, that drove him on. As the Annihilator pushed its warp drives to its maximum capacity, the planets seem to just fade by him, the moment he saw them, the very same instant it was a memory. Squall released the stick, and his fingers ran over the keyboard. The Annihilator slowed down, obeying its retro cruisers. The Annihilator finally cruised to a halt. Squall sat back in the seat, silent.

"Captain. We have visual contact with the Annihilator." Number one said. Quistis nodded her head.

"Bring it up on visual." She said. Nida entered something, and the big screen in front of the bridge flickered.

Damn, Quistis thought. Squall was taking 40 winks in the middle of space. But then again, he might just be meditating silently to himself, a thing he usually does before doing something major.

"Helmsman Mark, take us within the Annihilator's visual contact." Quistis ordered. Mark nodded.

The small screen before Squall came to life, as he snapped out of his thoughts. He peered down at it. It indicated that a starship from Garden was here. Garden, he thought. The computer suggested either a subspace hail, or a friendly maneuver. Squall mused. He pressed the subspace hail. Quistis's virtual face appeared on the small screen staring straight at him. 

"This is Annihilator to Stargazer." Squall said evenly. Quistis nodded.

"This is Stargazer. Quistis at helm. Squall, are you alright?" Quistis asked.

Squall inevitably released a small smile from his lips. Quistis frowned. 

"Is that a yes or a no?" she asked. Squall withdrew the smile, only to be suddenly replaced by a frown which creased his face.

Quistis smiled. He is always like that, she thought. This commander, she had always fascinated herself with. The secret admiration for her commander was buried deep within the confinements of her heart, not to be let out even at the worst times. She didn't know when it started, but all she was certain, it was there. But her commander had chose to risk his life to save a good friend of hers, which he loved. Her good friend also loved him, and they were a couple. One cannot imagine the hatred I have for Rinoa, she thought. But it was paradoxical, for she was her good friend at the same time.

"Quistis. Head back, I must undertake this alone." Squall said quietly. His eyes possessed the flare of a madman's. Saying so, the Annihilator started to gain velocity, and cruised away from Garden. Quistis sat back in her command chair, dejected. 

Rinoa grasped the crystal ball in her palms, and looked at the snow falling magically from the top of the sphere. White flakes fell languidly, twirling and spinning as it descended from the sphere. The little house at the bottom of the sphere lit up with a brilliant green, and a spark enveloped the small little room which Rinoa was contained in. The brightly lit room faded to darkness, and the sphere fell to the imaginary floor. Rinoa was no more.

It was time. Squall closed his eyes, and slowly brought his hands up to his eyes. A murmur formed on his lips, and a small blue flame materialized into his palm, facing outwards. The flame burned steadily, as it increased in strength. It flickered brightly, as Squall released it. The blue flame enveloped the Annihilator, as it glowed blue. It was time to go. Squall closed his eyes once again. When he reopened them, he was in the middle of a vast ocean. Squall let out a sigh. He touched a control on the Annihilator, as it powered up, heading in a direction even Squall didn't know.

Squall peered at the world below from his cockpit. An endless and vast blue of the deep ocean was what Squall seemed to be looking at for the past few hours. The Annihilator was already traveling at its top speed steadily. He frowned. Squall depressed the throttle, as the Annihilator took a nose dive. If all of this dimension was water, he was going in to check.

The Annihilator slowly gained speed as it advanced downwards. Intense heat burned the frame of the Annihilator, but it was still holding strong. It would have to burn for a long time before it could even start to disintegrate. Squall pressed a button on the aircraft's console. A secondary layer of shielding came into action, as it unfolded to shield the main shields. Squall relaxed. Now, it should hold twice as long. The water was about to hit the nose of the Annihilator. The ETA given by the Annihilator's computers read 3 minutes. Squall pushed the impulse engines into overdrive. It sped up rapidly. The Annihilator suddenly jerked to its right, as the automatic computer systems kicked into action, nearly taking a direct missile hit. The radar showed nothing for miles, but there were missiles streaming over the place. Squall set the navigation into an evasive mode, and clasped his palms together. It was wet with perspiration. The Annihilator jerked again to its right, as a missile suddenly exploded from no where.

It must be the X-Com and it's cloaking technology, Squall thought. The ferocity of the attacks increased just as the Annihilator hit the water front. The vast endless sea disappeared. It was instantaneously replaced by a place with lots of tall buildings, taller than anything Squall had ever seen in his world, now that he knew that a world besides his existed. The Annihilator navigated its way around the buildings. Squall looked around. There were flying vehicles everywhere, as though it was commonplace. Squall steered the Annihilator towards something like an air lane, and went along with the flow of flying vehicles. Squall set the Annihilator on auto and set back in his seat.


	9. Seeking the Seeker

Rinoa opened her eyes to the familiar sight of the long winding corridors of the Stargazer.  
She had been on board the Stargazer many times before when she was still alive. Being a relatively new member of the SeeD in life, she had to train onboard the Stargazer. Now she was place in the same ship she had so dread in the past. But that was the past. Now only happiness greeted her upon appearing in this place. She stood up slowly. A sudden wave of plasma pulse shook the ship roughly, and threw Rinoa momentarily off balance. She struggled to steady herself.

What was that, she thought, better find out for sure.

"All hands, report to bridge. Repeat, all hands please report to bridge."

Quistis, Rinoa thought. She's still around. I must find her.

Rinoa walked down the lightly lit path of the Stargazer. Streaks of blue waves were visible  
from the glass windows of the Stargazer. Unknown to Rinoa those were the warp signatures left by the transwrap drive belonging to the Annihilator. Rinoa's boot lifted off the deck noiselessly as she took step after step towards the Bridge. She stopped. The footstep behind her stopped instantly.

"May I help you miss?" A young handsome ensign behind her spoke. At least they can see me  
now, she thought. Rinoa spun round.

"May I know who's in charge of this ship?" Rinoa mustered in her sweetest voice. The young ensign replied foremost with a curious look on his face. He softened up by the look on Rinoa's face.

"You must be a new SeeD member!" he exclaimed, "everyone on board knows the Captain. It's Captain Quistis!" Rinoa nodded her head slightly.

"Is this the way to the bridge?" she asked. The ensign put his hands in his pocket.

"Yes miss, but I believe the Captain is rather busy now, so its best if you waited to later till visiting the Captain." Rinoa thanked him, and left him where he was. The ensign merely shrugged and walked away. At least Rinoa now knew that she had at least one good friend to confide in this lonely ship, and the direction for a quick reunion. She walked past the Crew's Quarters, before finally reaching the silver doors of the bridge. She hesitated.

"Come in!" a familiar voice rasped out. Rinoa took a breath in, and quickly let it out in a whiff.

Rinoa stepped into the bridge. Blue halogen lights hung above, fixed into the ceiling, providing for most of the lightings. A semi-arch of sorts spanned from the left end where she was to the right. Two neat rows of ensigns were manning the computer systens. From where she was, Rinoa thought she could hear Quistis gasp.

"Rinoa!" she called out. Without thinking she left the command seat and rushed towards Rinoa in an embracing hug. Rinoa squeezed hi back. Quistis finally pulled away. The two ladies looked at each other as if as they hadn't saw each other for a long period of time, but that in fact was the truth. Quistis had never once visited Rinoa's preserved body after she had died. She being simply as commander, had no time for that kind of thing. Quistis wanted to chat with Rinoa, having a lot of things in mind wanting to say and her adventures in the land of the unknown. She quickly pulled her away to the panty room. 

The Annihilator cruised slowly around the new city that was so unfamiliar to him. The plasma screen bliped several times, before switching itself off. So far none of the authorities had discovered him yet. But give it a little time plus the disadvantage of foreign terrain, Squall was positively sure if he were to stay longer without a clear course of action, this plan would be futile. Squall was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden red blip appearing on the screen.

Not that fast, he thought. Soon the blips became two, then three. Obviously the authorities thought highly of him. That was good. Squall's fingers danced around the keyboard, and the Annihilator picked up substantial speed rapidly. The tall frightful building zoomed past him as if they were the ones moving, not him. The yellow warp core wisely chose that moment to accelerate, giving the Annihilator the advantage of speed. Squall tapped a small button. 

Time sure passed fast. It was only a few moments ago when the call for a Priority One Alert came through the intercom. Xclaiver sighed. He set the Chaser on full thrust.

"Senoir Fighters! Please report to Hanger Bay 4. I repeat, Senoir Fighters please report to hanger Bay 4. This is a Priority One Alert!" The monotonous voice sounded throughout Pod 6. The pilots of Pod 6 had been automatically woken up by the distress call. Xclaiver threw off his sheets roughly onto the floor of his Spartan Bunks. Though technologically advanced and superior, the Terrans were never one to take to much interioir designing for their fighters. claiver pulled his shorts down, and slipped on the Air Force regulation jumpsuit. A small panel slowly slided out from the wall. Xclaiver reached out and started wearing his badges and insignas on his uniform. The panel slid back. Xclaiver left the room.

"Men! Attention! At 0300 hrs we spotted an unknown type craft entering our atmosphere. We suspect it is from Gaia, the world of which X-Com recently completed a peace intervention. Now it has infiltrated into our world! This must be stopped at all costs! Treat this craft as a potentially hostile craft. Fire at will! Pilots, go!"

Xclaiver silently mumbled in his head while strapping on to his antigrav craft. His hangover from last night's wild Sex and Wine party. He tried to brush the thoughts away. The cockpit glass slit close, and the Chaser was on its way. 


	10. The Run

Quistis put down two mugs of hot chocolate on the stained coffee table. The janitor on the last shift probably didn't do a very good job. Quistis made a mental note to speak to the Housekeeping Officer later when she had more time to spare. She figured the ship was in a very bad interior condition. Whenever there was a situation the ship staff would take the  
opportunity to skive. Quistis pulled out the plastic chair, and sat next to the seated figure clad in blue. She motioned towards the steaming hot chocolate. The figure reached out for the handle lit, and pressed it to her lips. She sipped a little.

"So what happened? How did you resurrect?" Quistis asked. Rinoa set down her mug with both hands. She wiped the foam off her mouth using a piece of tissue. Rinoa cleared her throat.

The seconds soon ticked away into minutes, before hours. The deafening silence of the panty room plus the insane ticking from the ancient clock hung above accompanied the duo throughout the night, leaving the entire ship by itself. The staff personnel took shifts, and took turns to man the ship. Quistis got up slowly after a long while, and grabbed the cups. She  
came back a minute later with another bout of hot chocolate. She sat back onto the chair. Rinoa continued.

Squall tapped a small button immediately after the Annihilator sped up. The tail thruster nozzles clicked into submission. The nozzles released a trail of black smoke with evolved into fog. Following, small shiny dust particles flooded the area, instantly jamming any sensory device operating in the area. Pulling back the flight stick hard, the nose of the Annihilator pointed up, and the rest of it followed it up.

Xclaiver shunned away the instant he saw smoke eject from the craft he was chasing. The Chaser took a hard right turn. The anti-grav engines protested, and he silently prayed that they wouldn't die out on him, not at this moment. With his view of the craft impaired, he reached for a small control panel above the LCD radar panel. He flipped a red switch. The radar took on a new view. This one followed the infra-red heat signals omitted by the craft, rendering it useful against sensor jammers. He smiled with satisfaction. At least he could still see by radar what was happening in front of him.

The chase continued. The Annihilator accelerated madly after that in a series of fakes and dodges, but somehow the dull craft behind him held its steady distance no matter how hard Squall tried to escape. He figured that the craft could still detect him even with cover. Squall frowned. He glanced at the onboard screen. The front view of the dull but nonetheless impressive Chaser with its name proudly emblazed across it homing on close behind him. Squall shifted a little to the right, and was duly surprised that the craft slowly but swiftly adjusted its orientation to match his. He then accelerated again, which by now had already gone into the thousands of kilometers per second, which was nothing normally, but something  
to behold in atmosphere travel. Surely but slowly, the Chaser matched his speed with frustrating ease. Squall frowned harder. He strayed onto an unused keyboard on the control panel. He pressed the on button.

"Emergency system overwrite. Please input password..." Squall pressed a series of keys. The computer flashed once. Squall then shut down all manual systems.

"Total automatic control initiating. Please stand by..." The buckles of Squall's safety belt tightened. He winched. The cockpit glass reinforced, following by new additions of fresh armour. The warp drives hummed louder by the second, until the noise reduction filters kicked in. He could hear no more then, just what was happening outside. The HUD activated, and  
all around the cockpit was a 270 degrees screen. He could no longer see outside the glass. He glanced to his right, and saw that the speed of the Annihilator was approaching that of light. Not wanting to be undone, the Chaser matched speed. Its engines protested. The Annihilator then launched a volley of spread missiles. The Chaser smartly dodged the missiles, while  
returning cover fire from its roundmillimeter Gatling gun. The Annihilator then had to do its version of dodging, which Squall decided was more impressive of the two displays. 

Xclaiver gritted his teeth in frustration. The craft ahead of him suddenly had seem to take on a new style of evasion. Like a brainwave had suddenly dawned upon its pilot. Surely and smoothly, the craft was establishing a sizable distance between themselves. Xclaiver reached for the NOS gas switch, and flipped it hard. The red blip above it lit up.

As if powered by plutonium, the wretched hostile craft Squall has been trying to escape from suddenly had an infusion of speed and neckbreaking velocity. Squall glanced at the brightly lit screen. He tapped his head tiredly. He pushed the stick down.

Quistis placed a hand around the tear-stained Rinoa. Rinoa had finished, but not without succumbing to emotions. Both her hands were still wrapped around the now empty mug of what used to be hot chocolate. Quistis still had a near full mug.

"Hush now, Rinoa dear. We're on our way to get Squall. He had risked everything by going to the other world to attempt to get you back. He has killed Alexandria in a bid to get her powers to open the Gates of Heaven." Rinoa looked up. A single tear fell towards the cold steel platform. Quisitis got up and straightened her uniform. She extended her right hand.

"Let's get you changed and warm first. The rest can wait." Rinoa nodded, and allowed herself to be let away by her close friend.


	11. Dodging

Squall could feel the intensity of the pressure acting down his throat, making him feel uncomfortable. He winced. The Chaser took a hard drop, nearly matching that of the Annihilator. The Annihilator took a hard left itself, before re-gaining entry into outer space. The Chaser started to slow down then, realizing the ploy it had let itself get into. The Chaser  
retraced its path, and shot like a bullet downwards towards its base, away from the Annihilator. Squall counted down slowly, before depressing the command console. The Annihilator executed the Bullet-Squall maneuver. The craft spun in controlled  
sequences towards the fleeing craft.

Xclaiver gripped the flight stick harshly and jammed it all the way downwards. From his HUD he saw the red craft advancing by leaps and bounds. He prayed then, and prayed hard. From the computer console he had already sent out a Priority One call to his fellow pilots, and none had so far replied. He wished then for another of his pilots to appear to provide that little bit of distraction to cover him, so he could gain a slight advantage. He prayed. From the back of his view, he could see two sleek projectiles approaching him.

The sun slowly set to the west, coloring the world into a beautiful canvas of paint. The palm trees swayed gently, as Alexandria felt the wind passing by. She closed her eyes, and let the wind do a dance merrily around her. Half of the sun lay submerged into the ocean.

"Powers in the dark, powers in the deep.  
Lay beyond the ocean, in darkness they will creep.  
Thou have served me well, but I call upon thee again.  
You shall obey my call, and let the transformation begin."

The event horizon didn't appear to change, but much has. The world mutated in front of her tiny eyes. Destruction crept into the world silently on a dark cloud, for everything the shadow graced made it into nothing less than mere dust and ash. The world faded slowly into pitch darkness. All in an instant.

The beautiful field of flowers now lay ruined, layers and layers of ash after ash. Dust and turmoil floated over them. The once beautiful but no more orphanage lay silently in the midst of danger, not a sound was heard. The creak of a window pane, and a tiny hand placed itself on the window ledge.

"Wonders beyond my gaze destroyed by a fiery haze. The towers of light hang in silence. Who will come to their aid now?

The world of heroes and heroines has come to pass, now that all that besieges us is darkness. Light is the absence of darkness, for light is not a natural cause. The era of light is anguished, and darkness shall lay its cloak down. It is time for me to rest."

The little hand was joined by an identical on the other side, and she pushed herself high enough to sit on the ledge. On her face was the most innocent, beautiful face man could conceive. She smiled.

Rows of targets stood before the stainless steel rifle, undaunted. After all its been long since anyone could challenge the targets and get away triumph. Each target card was a larger circle, and yet another smaller circle in concentric motion. The rifle was drawn back, then quickly loaded up. The butt was placed near the neck, and in firing position. A bullet fired,  
and then another, until all the adjacent targets were horizontal. A small wisp of smoke floated in the air, and was quickly blown away. Irvine lay the rifle on his shoulder. Walking over to each of the targets, he was not disappointed when he saw the cards riddled by bullet holes at the centre of each target. He released the clutch lock and the empty two bullet cartridge  
popped out. He searched his large pants pockets and produced another. He inserted it in, before pulling back on the clutch.

Irvine stopped short in his tracks. An ominous growl beseeched the skies. A blast of lightning nearly took off the hairs on head. He grappled with his ammo pack and broke into a run for the training ground shelter. Another misplaced blast prompted the sniper to shoot aimlessly into the dark cloud. This angered the dark lord. In reply to his defiance the cloud rained  
another couple of bolts. Irvine jumped restlessly into the sheltered area, and made it in. His wet figure approached the communications command, and he punched through a line straight through to Triva Garden. 

The Galbadian war generals sat around a circular table. The flickering screen at the centre of it changed every few instances, displaying the current status of the world. A few of the grey uniforms converged around the leader, and words were hurriedly exchanged. After a couple of moments, the figures nodded their heads and dispersed. 


	12. Rejuvenation of the Spirits

Quistis had had a lazy afternoon. At least she knew it was afternoon from the sub-atomic time tracker. Everything in space was black. Pitch black. The clock indicated five in the afternoon, which meant it was already starting to eat into evening time. She was currently not needed at the command bridge, and her comm technicans has told her to take a breather while they tried to trace Admiral Squall's warp signature. In other words, they meant get out or you'll disturb us. That suited her just fine. She had asked Rinoa to relax at the rec room and at the same time try to figure out and read up on what has happened since her absence. Quistis sat up from her bed in her quarters, and promptly stood up.

"Bridge to Captain Quistis." a male voice rung from her comm unit.

"Quistis here."

"Captain, we've chanced upon some pretty interesting things. You might want to look at this."

"On my way Number One." Quistis tugged at her uniform, and straightened it up. She grabbed her handheld and walked out of her quarters in the direction of the bridge.

"Captain, take a look at this." The captain's number one officer spoke, as the Captain stepped out of the turbolift and onto the command bridge. Quistis narrowed her eyes, and peered at the screen. She tapped a console on the command chair, and the screen enlarged.

"Captain, as you can see, this seems to be a planet consisting of 90 fluids, and 10 natural air. What our sensors indicate by thermal and radiation seems to go along with this. But there appears to be fluctuating discrepancies in the mass gravitational readings, between the default value of the planet, and a value roughly a million point six times more. Look carefully."

The first officer tapped a button on the command console, and the sensors switched to X-Ray. The screen complied likewise. The computer analysis scanned the planet for life forms, and plenty were found, although visual sensors indicated life wasn't possible. The Captain frowned, sitting back in her chair.

"Number One, take us in."

The Stargazer powered up its warp engines, and the helmsman turned the starship around. The starship aligned its positions with the last known trace of the Admiral's ship, and exploded into warp speed. 

Balamb train station was packed with travelers from Esthar and Earth. A train slowly puffed its way into the station platform, and came to a complete halt. The doors slit open, and travelers alighted from it. The crowd poured its way onto the busy and crowded station. Completely unseen to the untrained eye, an unmoving figure in black lay atop the items and gift shop just outside the train station. A small sparkle glittered from the top of the gift shop, and a few seconds later, he slumped to the floor silently. He was followed by another, and another. The figures quickly lined the street, and blended into the crowd. From the same position on the rooftop, another figure appeared. He was in brown. The figure tipped his hat, and hid his rifle behind his coat. The figure jumped into the crowd. 

"Go go go!" Galbadian SeeDs armed with rifles and automatic weapons charged into Balamb Hotel, where the two bodies lay. The SeeDs quickly disposed the two bodies in bags onto their vehicles, and lay siege to a room mate on the third floor as hostage. SeeD guards were posted on either side of the door. The other SeeDs had sealed off the entire hotel from the public. Irvine dusted away the remaining gunpowder on his rifle, and hosted it behind his back in his usual fashion. He entered the room. A little girl lay on the bed, facing him blankly.

"Hello. The mighty Irvine is late." the little girl spoke. Her face was pure porcelain, and of remarkable beauty. A realistic potential.

"Don't resist. Not now. Game's over." Irvine said, his voice cold and clear.

"The lion's gone, far and beyond, soon to the lands of the gone."

Irvine raised a hand and let fly a terrible bolt of lightning, and was thrown on the carpeted floor by and invisible punch. "You do not know, who you are dealing with. Farewell, for your knowledge of the spells are just, but a tiny fraction of mine. Farewell." saying that, the girl jumped out of the window. Irvine squeezed a well aimed shot at her, but missed.

He felt his anger rise. "Go after the girl!" The SeeDs leapt out of the window in pursuit, and powered up their hover units. Irvine already knew that it would be futile. He re-holstered his weapon. 

Rain poured over the badlands, and puddles of water were all over ditches and potholes in the floor. Water flowed through the soils, turning it into soft mud. Impression less, he thought. Until someone stepped on it, and forever leaves a scar, even when the foot was gone, the marks still remain. What does it take for the scar to be erased? Another thunderstorm, he thought. But not everyone could summon a thunderstorm at will. The graying clouds continued to mercilessly pour rain over the lands. A flash of lightning streaked across the dark skies, illuminating all for, but a few seconds. The dark figure took a few steps forward, before ceasing to move. The oaken doors of the chapel were slightly ajar, as if beckoning him to com forth. Rainwater trickled down his masculine face, running off his face onto his coat, and falling timidly to the ground.

Laguna crouched down, and touched the cold soil, wet with the falls of rain. He slowly cupped a little, and let it slid off his hands. He stood, and entered the chapel.

From the windows of the chapel, dark clouds were visible. The little girl knelt down in front of the porcelein statue of Rinoa. She had her hands clasped tightly together. She shut her eyes.

The door creaked open, and wet footsteps trotted the chapel floor. Laguna sat at the first bench of the chapel, and the wooden benched protested. His eyes were transfixed on the statue of Rinoa. A breeze tousled his face and left the chapel, giving him the all too familiar feeling of loneliness. His comm unit cried. A projected screen of his secretary popped out.

"Sir. Starships are ready for deployment, please advise."

"Admiral Elle, launch the ships. Send me the flagship on the double."

"Affirmative sir." Laguna took a last look at the white statue, and left the chapel.


	13. The Skies of Grey

The dullness moan of the airconditioning unit droned on and on, and it finally put Rinoa to sleep. The dark blue walls against grey flooring gave the room a certain gloomy sensation in the air. Maybe it was just because of what she was going through now that gave her this sort of emotions. Quistis slowly sat down softly beside the sleeping figure, and reached her arm out for the figure's hair. She gently ran her fingers through her wavy hair. The figure stirred. Quistis smiled.   
  
"Rinoa dear, its getting late. We have a plane to catch." Quistis mumbled. Rinoa stirred again. A smile formed on the Captain's face.   
  
  
  
  
Squall shut down the primary systems of the Annihilator, and stepped the defenses down. he had the computer sensors do a detailed sweep around the city, and had located this abandoned warehouse. The red craft touched down lightly on the soft rubber flooring of the warehouse. Dust swirled around the landing area, and the metallic hum of the core engines turned down. The particles of dust languidly spiraled down to the ground. A gloved hand fingered the sensor display, and the door slit back. A leader boot was placed soildly on the rubber ground. He stepped out. The clang of his gunblade accidentally hit the door, a sound produced. The lone tall figure walked. Rubber against rubber, almost noiselessly. He had beaten the other craft, before settling down at this location. The Annihilator had unleashed two sidewinders at the craft, and in response, the craft powered up beyond its designed capabilities, so thus breaching its own warp core. The pilot, of course had ejected away to safety. But that meant that Squall was free, and had time to think about his next course of action. Immediately after destroying the craft, Squall had the Annihilator warp to the source of which the fighters had been dispatched, and personally decommisioned all the remainding fighters into oblivion, but not before uploading critical information about the structure and organization of this world. Now that he was here, he left time for the computers to figure out the places of interest, at least to him. He glanced out of the warehouse window. It was then the vastness of this beautiful city struck him.   
  
Tall elegant building, built of glass and steel, noiseless aircars cruising to and fro. Blue vast skies spanning for many millions of miles. Beautiful, Squall thought. If only, if only I could live in this world where death does not exist. His longing eyes still transfixed to the far and beyond. He sighed. 


	14. Paranormally Right

Irvine sat transfixed to the flickering screen in front of him. Rifle in hand, drops of rain trickled down the brown leather coat. The screen blanked out, bringing Irvine's mind back to the present. The screen then changed into a status display. That caught Irvine's eye. He studied the figures and charts.

"Estharian intelligence sources noted that the extreme change in weather and natural conditions around the world is in fact, paranormal. Undisclosed sources revealed that temperature has dropped 20 degrees in the past week, and more of Terra is becoming iced. Esathar agents have been actively tracking this new source of disturbance, and its highly likely that this trend will continue. It is also interesting to note, that most of Esthar's military forces have been deployed into deep space. This move was spearheaded by the Estharian President, Laguna Loire."

A frown. "Where could Laguna go at this time?" Irvine looked up. A Galbadian General entered the dark room. Irvine drew his rifle. Galbadian Stormtroopers entered the room armed to the teeth. Each stormtrooper had laser sights focused on the man. Irvine raised his hands.

"Give it up Irvine. That's right. Nice and easy." The stormtroopers grabbed his rifle away from him, and he felt a boot land heavily on his back. The last thing he heard was something about Garden and Esthar totally defenseless now. The darkness consumed him.

The Estharian General motioned to his troops, and the stormtroopers took the unconsious man out. The general walked up to the screen. He touched the metallic finish, and placed a small electronic spider behind the line of sight. The general quickily looked around to check if he was being tailed, then he exited the dark room, leaving the ceiling fan spinning slowly. 

The Galbadian Army rolled armour and personnel across the Estharian Plains. Dirt was rustled and kicked up all over the place. Artillery units blazed across the parched lands. Overhead, stormtroopers with rocket boosters zeroed in on the Utopian city. Stormtroopers in large personal carriers trucked behind, following the Armour closely. Within another hour, the Galbadian Army would be within striking range of Esthar. A streak of fierce fighter planes overhead flashed across the skies, carrying a huge payload in each of the weapons pods. The lead fighter accelerated.

The little girl stood and watched from a distance. Both her hands still on the window ledge. She smiled.

"Ground control, this is GStar-One. Target is in range. Request confirmation of strike." the pilot radioed.

"GStar-One, this is Ground Control. Your strike sequence is Zero, zero, alpha, zulu, niner, tango. Fire at will, I repeat, fire at will."

"Ground control, this is GStar-One. Acknowledged sequence zero, zero, alpha, zulu, niner, tango. Roger that, firing at will." the lead fighter broke off from the formation, and streaked dangerously low to the ground. The other fighters quickily joined. A few eerie seconds later, a MOAB was released from the lead fighter. The lead fighter then pulled out and up from the formation. The remaining fighters quickily marked their target, and for the first time, huge explosions rocketed Esthar.  
"Ground control, this is GStar-One. Squadron has hit target. Sqawk four. Send in the boys!" the lead fighter said.

"GStar-One, roger." the radio went silent after the last transmission.  
As the fighters pulled out of Esthar, the armour division were slowly assembling by the outskirts of the Utopian city. The tanks formed a tight formation surrounding Esthar, as the artillery took aim under the safe cover of the tanks. A commander radioed ahead, and the artillery let loose a volley of canons. An invisible shield from smoking Esthar flashed a brilliant blue, as it deflected the canon balls. Unfazed, the commander gave another order. The artillery fired another round of canons. And another. The shield flickered with each successive blow it took. Finally after ten painful minutes, the shield collapsed. Smoke could still be seen from Esthar. The tanks rolled forward the instant the shield came down.

This was the moment the Estharian Airforce had been waiting for, as the tanks were exposed to a weakness when the artillery and air support were offline. Dozens of starfighters lifted off from the Estharian Airbase, zeroing in on their targets. The silent fighters quickily destroyed the first barrage of tanks attempting the enter the city, as the Estharian Army quickly took positions near the destroyed tanks. Galbadian stormtroopers arrived in large personal carriers, as the Estharian soldiers fired mercilessly on them. A rocket propelled grenade whizzed past the helmet of the assailant, as it landed on the carrier. An explosion. The Estharian soldiers moved on towards the large invading contingent.

The Galbadian General stood firm on his personal carrier, surveying the battlefield. All was going as planned. He glanced down at his bounded captive. Irvine closed his eyes. The screen in front of him displayed the might of Galbadia upon Esthar. The city was not really fighting back. Irvine did not understand why. Normally, it took only a small fraction of Esthar's military to crush whatever onslaught the Galbadians could muster.

Unless they weren't around, he thought. Where could they have gone then? Was this the calmity the Estharians Intelligence had reported? Estharian Military has been deployed into deep space. What for? Wait. The weather... He remembered the dark cloud that had crossed his way earlier, that being the reason he went to Triva, before being capture there. He wanted to warn Garden about the impending disaster. Only he hadn't been given the chance to, he thought. What about Triva Garden? Was it touched? Irvine had alot of questions that he needed answers to, but it looked like he did not have the chance to get them answered.


End file.
